Quoting Canadian Press:was diverted to St. John's because it had a cracked windshield.

Emergency crews were standing by.

The crack must have been pretty substantial for the crew to consider requesting emergency personal to be standing by or maybe I just don't know the magnitude of cracked glass. Would a small, hairline crack be considered a "mayday" and dispatching emergency crews or would the crack have to be pretty substantial.

Quoting Canadian Press:Air Transat is also flying in a repair crew to fix the damaged jet.

Would they be flying with a new windshield or just repair the A310 in St. John's with available on-site materials? And where would they conduct this work in St. John's... Would they use a partner hanger or just do the maintenance on the apron (doesn't seem plausible)...

A replacement a/c flew into YYT with a new windscreen and MTC crews to fix the "broke" a/c. The replacement a/c will then take the pax to LGW.
There are'nt any hangers large enough to fit an A310 entirely. You could bring one nose in a few meters to do the fix. I did this with an Aer Lingus A332 a couple of years ago when it landed with a cracked windscreen.
I have however seen crews replace windscreens in the open as well.

Cracked windshields seem quite common. Just this year alone there have been about 60 reports of cracked windshields in the Canadian incident reports. There must be many hundreds worldwide. A few examples of the Canadian reports so far this year:

ACA695, an Air Canada Airbus A320, registration C-GIUE, was en route from St. John's (CYYT) to Toronto (CYYZ) when the crew declared a PAN situation due to a cracked left windshield. The crew requested and received a clearance to divert the flight to Halifax where the aircraft landed safely without further incident. The windshield was replaced and the aircraft has been returned to service.

N200EL, Gulfstream 1159A, enroute from Edinburgh (EGPH) to Gander (CYQX), routing 57N030W at 10:00Z, 40,000 ft. estimating 53N040W at 10:54Z, 50N050W next. At 10:09Z the aircraft reported a cracked windshield and requested descent to 34,000 ft. No emergency was declared. The aircraft received the requested clearance and reported level at 10:15Z. At 12:23Z the flight requested clearance to 30,000 ft. The flight was cleared as requested. No emergency was declared. The aircraft landed safely at Gander at 12:28Z.

ACA121, an Air Canada Airbus A320, C-GJVT, had departed Halifax (CYHZ) for Toronto (CYYZ) when, just after departure, the flight crew advised that the aircraft had a cracked windshield. They requested and received a clearance to return to Halifax and landed safely without further incident with ARFF standing by. Maintenance personnel replaced the windshield and heat controller. The aircraft has been returned to service.

Regional 1 Airlines de Dehavilland DHC-8-102, operating as TSH 801 and registered C-GZTC, was en route from Conklin, AB to Calgary, AB at FL 240. The crew reported a cracked outer pane in the right hand front windshield. Pressurization was not affected. The flight diverted to Edmonton, the crew requested to have ARFF standing by and landed safely at 1902 MST.

CFC 2328, a Canadian Armed Forces Lockheed C-130, was west of Sanikiluaq on a flight from CFB Trenton when the crew advised ATC of a cracked windshield. They did not declare an emergency and returned to Trenton.

MPE 438 a Boeing 737-200, registration C-GNDU operated by Canadian North, departed Rankin Inlet (CYRT) to Iqaluit (CYFB). At 150 miles west of Iqaluit at FL 310, the crew heard a loud bang and observed the First Officer's side windshield had severely cracked. The crack ran through the center and several other cracks radiated from it. An emergency descent to FL 110 was started immediately and code 7700 was selected. The aircraft flew to YFB and landed without further problems.

Air Canada Airbus A320-200 (C-FZUB) was operating as ACA 1160 on a flight from Edmonton (CYEG) to Toronto (CYYZ). After takeoff, the crew received an R WINDOW ECAM (window heat system) message. While climbing through FL 200 the right hand number 3 windshield cracked. ACA 1160 diverted to Calgary for maintenance where the aircraft landed overweight. Maintenance replaced the window and window heat computer. The maximum vertical acceleration on landing was recorded as 1.5G, therefore no further inspection regarding an overweight landing was required.

C-FGYS, an Air Canada A320 (operating as ACA 169) was en route from Toronto (CYYZ) to Vancouver (CYVR) and when approximately 65 NM east of Sioux Narrows, Ontario the first officer's outer window panel started to arc. While the crew was carrying out the related QRH items the window panel cracked. The crew declared an emergency and requested to divert to Winnipeg, where they carried out an overweight landing. ARFF vehicles were standing by. Company maintenance performed an overweight landing check and replaced the damaged window panel.

Air Canada Flight ACA0159, an Airbus A321-200 aircraft, registration C-GIUF was en route from Toronto (CYYZ) to Edmonton (CYEG). While in cruise, the crew received an "ANTI ICE R WINDSHEILD" indication. Shortly after that the right windshield cracked. The crew elected to divert to Winnipeg where the aircraft landed without further incident. The #2 window heat computer and right windshield was replaced and the aircraft was returned to service.

JZA 389, a Jazz DHC-8-311, was en route from Fort McMurray (CYMM) to Edmonton (CYEG) when the crew reported a cracked windshield and requested a slow descent. No emergency was declared and no services were requested. JZA 389 landed safely at 0218z.

Air Canada Airbus A-319 aircraft (operating as flight ACA1814) was on a scheduled IFR flight from Toronto (CYYZ) to Cayo Coco, Cuba (MUCC). The Federal Aviation Administration advised that the aircraft was en-route, operating in Boston ARTCC airspace about 150NM south of Toronto, when the flight crew elected to return to Toronto due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft subsequently landed without incident at 1309Z.

United Kingdom Royal Air Force Vickers VC-10 (XV-104, operating as flight RRR2121) was on an IFR flight from Ottawa (CYOW) to R.A.F. Brize Norton, England (EGVN). At 2232Z, the flight crew of RRR2121 advised the Montréal ACC Sector Controller that they had a cracked windshield and requested return to Ottawa. The aircraft dumped fuel from ±100NM northeast of Montréal to ±75NM NNE of Montréal (Dorval) International Airport (CYUL) at FL220. The aircraft landed on runway 07 at Ottawa (M-CIA) (CYOW) without further incident at 2319Z.

The crew of WJA678, Westjet Airlines Boeing 737-800 enroute from Edmonton (CYEG) to Toronto (CYYZ) advised they had a cracked side windshield . The crew requested descent, no emergency, no assistance required, and landed without incident.

Air Canada Airbus A319 aircraft (operating as ACA756) was on a scheduled IFR flight from San Francisco (KSFO) to Toronto (CYYZ). At 2346Z, the flight crew advised NAV CANADA staff that the aircraft had a cracked windshield indication. The flight crew advised there was no emergency, and the aircraft landed at Toronto without incident.

Air Canada Airbus A320 aircraft (operating as ACA1142) was on a scheduled IFR flight from Calgary (CYYC) to Montréal (CYUL). The flight crew reported a cracked windshield to Toronto ACC and requested permission to descend. Toronto ACC staff descended the aircraft and transferred the flight crew to Montréal ACC. The aircraft landed at its destination without incident.

Air Canada Airbus A319 aircraft (operating as flight ACA756) was on a scheduled IFR flight from San Francisco (KSFO) to Toronto (CYYZ). The aircraft was en-route, flying over Nebraska, when the flight crew declared an emergency due to a cracked windshield. The flight diverted to Minneapolis-St. Paul (KMSP) and landed without incident at 0018Z.

United States Air Force Boeing KC-135R aerial tanker aircraft, operating as TOPCAT4, was on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight from McGuire Air Force Base, NJ (KWRI) to Alpena County Regional Airport, Alpena, MI (KAPN) when the aircraft experienced a cracked windshield 35 miles northwest of the London VOR (YXU). The flight crew requested descent from 24,000 feet to 10,000 feet for precautionary purposes.

ACA798, Airbus A319 operated by Air Canada, was on an IFR flight from Los Angeles (KLAX) to Montréal/Trudeau (CYUL). When the aircraft was transferred from Toronto ACC to Montréal ACC, it was reported that the aircraft had a cracked windshield. No emergency was declared. The aircraft landed without incident on Runway 24L at 0010Z.

Air Canada Jazz Bombardier CL-600-2D15 (CRJ705) Regional Jet aircraft (operating as flight JZA8923) was on a scheduled IFR flight from Québec City (CYQB) to Toronto (CYYZ). The aircraft was approximately 15NM east of Simcoe when the flight crew reported a cracked windshield at 2345Z. The aircraft landed without incident at 0005Z.

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